album listens #13 - the pilgrim, their god and the king of my decrepit mountain - tapir!

 

a beautiful, pastoral, idyllic but melancholy folk album. wow. i feel like i'm wandering around the countryside, along a coastal scene, teetering on the edge of a cliff facing the sea. its rough around the edges but therein lies the charm and personality of the album. i had never even heard of this band before and i'm so glad i stumbled across them. the vocals are understated and timid but so personal. real folk vibes mixed with the vintage drum machine and warm synth sounds make the album sound like you're listening to it on a tape player which i love. the chord progressions are beautiful and the arrangements are pretty, this is really such a sweet and quaint album that has had a lot of passion put into it. i feel so much love inside me after hearing this album.

FAVOURITE SONG: My God, Gymnopédie, Eidolon, Mountain Song

RATING: 9 /10 (edit: i've been listening to this album none stop and i've decided it's a 10)

album listens #12 - wall of eyes - the smile

 

more new music! the smile's new album is equal parts experimental and beautiful. the main issue i had with the first album was the slower moments (not that they were bad but that they just belonged on a thom yorke solo project) and tom skinner was not being utilised fully in the jazzier aspects. i think that that is still the case to a certain extent on this album but their songwriting has definitely improved. i feel this album in my veins i dont know how else to describe it. two of the slower songs, the title track wall of eyes and i quit are the only two songs on this album i am not certain on, i definitely want to listen to this again and again tho. its fun at points and depressing at others, its mixed beautifully, although sometimes maybe yorke's vocals are a little loud, and the strings make the whole thing really pretty. it's romantic in a lot of ways too, the songs are sort of like wonky ballads with the weird time signatures. but yeah i think this albums really great i like it a lot. :P

FAVOURITE SONG: Teleharmonic

RATING: 8/10

album listens #11 - new last name - courting

 

new music from courting! i played the singles to this album absolutely to death, which in hindsight may not have been a good idea because it's sort of harder to listen to the album as a whole, but i love this album already. it's no where near as flashy and glitchy as their debut but, as they say themselves, its more genuine and pop influenced. i just get a really warm feeling when i listen to it, it's not technical or crazy its just very good written guitar music. i've seen a lot of people complaining about the autotune but personally i really like it, i think it adds sort of a weird character. the songs are so catchy and the guitar tones and the vocals are really satisfying (?). its a completely different vibe for courting but i really like the way that they're going. can't wait to see them live again on their tour and for them to play this new stuff live. very nice album !

FAVOURITE SONG(s): Emily G, Babys, Flex, The Hills, Throw, The Wedding

RATING: 8 or 9/10

album listens #10 - magical mystery tour - the beatles

 

this album reminded me of when i was younger and my parents had 1 on cd, the album with all the singles on it. i already knew most of the songs on here but for some reason have never listened to the album all the way through, i think it's great! it definitely is a singles album and the back half is infinitely stronger than the first, i wasn't crazy about the flying and man on the hill, though they are good songs. there are so many classics on here that i didn't even realise were on this album. blue jay way is one of those beatles songs that i'm surprised isn't more popular. every song on here is such a classic and obviously strawberry fields forever is just one of those songs that is beyond perfect, one of the best songs ever made. a good mix of songs on here, maybe doesn't do it for me in the same way that sgt peppers does, in the same way that amnesiac is to kid A, even though I actually prefer amnesiac in many ways! i feel similarly to this, the songs are sort of more unique though, on sgt peppers perhaps, which is not the case for kid a. anyway is the beatles reaching their peak and for that time its an incredible triumph and to this day a really great listen. relistening to a lot of the singles i've known for a long time was nice and gave me a little nostalgia, but also i got a lot of new meaning from the lyrics and the sounds that i don't remember hearing when i was younger.

FAVOURITE SONG: Strawberry Fields Forever (obviously)

RATING: 9/10

album listens #9 - apostrophe - frank zappa

 

this album is COOL and FUNNY and AWESOME. perhaps the most consistent of zappa's albums that i've listened to in terms of sound but this thing is all over the place. every song is silly but also jazzy and a little prog-y. he just has such an interesting way of writing music and i love how stupid it is and how much he leans into it. cool af album and i can't wait to listen to more zappa.

FAVOURITE SONG: Cosmik Debris, Uncle Remus, Excentrifugal Forz

RATING: 9/10

album listens #8 - master of reality - black sabbath

 

ehhhhh honestly i was kinda underwhelmed by this album :/. i've been really enjoying the old style, rock n roll, hair metal kinda vibe recently that i used to be into when i was 16 (more specifically i LOVE that AC/DC live album If You Want Blood You Got It, even tho i was never really into ac/dc) and i felt like this album was gonna satisfy the urge for some fun, maybe slightly corny rock n roll riffs that were lively and cool but this really wasn't it. i can see why people would like this album when it came out but listening back to it now it's sooooo underwhelming. the riffs are so basic and rigid, all with the same boring guitar tone and honestly most of the songs are just so uninteresting. there's a few moments that are fun in the middle of songs, mostly on bridges and such but on the whole i would probably never really listen to this one again. the more laid back songs on the acoustic are just  plain lifeless. everything on here just sounds so uninspired! boring. rock. !!!

FAVOURITE SONG: Children of the Grave

RATING: 2/10

album listens #7 - grown backwards - david byrne

 

this album is just so david byrne. it's so unique and so fun, i love the strings and the other odd instruments he adds and it's really cool to see him experiment a little after being in talking heads and you can tell that the sound is very personal to him. lyrics are witty and funny and the songs are funky and waltzy and sometimes even classical-esque. a very pleasant listening experience, maybe not as interesting or experimental as some of his stuff with the heads but i still enjoyed this one a lot. the closing track Lazy is crazy funky mixed with this orchestra and those really cool retro synth sounds?!? so amazing!! it's silly but not tongue in cheek; it's extremely sincere. definitely one i'll be listening to again :)

FAVOURITE SONGS: Lazy, Who, Dialog Box, Glass, Concrete & Stone, The Other Side of This Life

FIRST RATING: 9/10